What I love about living in Southern California

Wearing sandals in January.

Symphonic Creation

Have you ever looked at the world around you and been amazed at the beauty of creation? As I observe the natural world, I can't help but witness God's handiwork. This world and everything in it was made to praise God. The Psalms are full of creation worshiping the Lord.

"Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar and all that is in it; let the fields be joyful, all the trees of the woods will rejoice before You." Psalm 96:11-12

"The Lord reigns; the earth rejoices and the multitude of coast lands be glad!" Psalm 97:1

"Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills be joyful together before the Lord." Psalm 98:8

"The heavens declare the glory of God." Psalm 19:1

I wonder if all of creation has a song that is yet unheard by human ears? After all Jesus said in Luke 19 that if the people didn't praise Him, the stones would cry out in worship.

Perhaps because of our sin dulled ears we can't hear the harmony of the songs of the world around us, like a beautiful symphony to the Lord. If the rocks cry out, then maybe the mountains sing, the wind plays notes beyond the capacity of the human ear, and the sound of the trees growing and the stars twinkling blend together in an exquisite resonance that echos throughout the heavens.

I think we can hear fragmented parts of the symphony now. Go outside and listen. Those birds aren't just singing because they're communicating with each other. The rustle of the wind in the leaves of a tree is more than that. When you put a seashell to your ear, it's not just echoing the sound of the ocean from which it came, it's echoing the song the Creator gave it on the day He made the first seashell.

Unposed

More pictures from the train museum. I think the last one is my favorite. It's an unusual angle on a family portrait. I don't know though, really like the one of Gemma and Gabie at the door too. It seems story bookish to me, and I like the fact that it wasn't set up. Who am I kidding, it's almost impossible to get little kids to pose in a place where there are so many trains, too exciting for them I guess. I guess that's why I didn't get any pictures of my nephew David, that boy has rockets attached to his shoes. He's fast! Any decent pictures I took of the kids on this trip were sheer luck. I've learned to just snap away as they're doing their thing and hope something turns out. I think I like pictures of people that best, unposed and being themselves, makes it more interesting and natural.

Just Gemma

Matt and I have been experimenting with photography lately. We don't really know what we're doing at this point. It's just a hobby, though I am trying to learn to program our camera and don't shoot in auto anymore. These are some pictures of Gemma I took last month at the train museum in Perris. It's basically a graveyard for old trains and street cars, though they do have some stuff that's been restored, I like the old and rusty best. That place is a photographer's dream, there's just so much cool stuff. We went at a time of day when the light was pretty good and I was pleased with how most of the pictures turned out. I hope to share some more pictures in the next week or so, I took a lot more than just these ones of Gemma. In fact, the picture of me in the sidebar is one Matt took of me that day.

Words On A Page

"The Lord knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile. Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your Law." Psalm 94:11-12

It's true, my thoughts are futile. When I sit down to study the Bible, I read the scriptures, try to understand and make application for my life and I find...nothing. I search some more thinking, "Surely there must be something here," and still, nothing.

That's exactly what happened this morning. Really, it's what happens every time I go to study the Bible. All I see are words on a page htat don't mean anything to me. Finally in frustration I cry out, "Lord, You're right! I don't know anything, my thoughts are futile. Will You teach me?" For me it's almost always instantaneous, the moment I humble myself and am willing to be taught, it's as if those words on the page suddenly jump out at me and I understand. Thoughts, insights, illustrations, applications all flood my mind and I know they're not my own. A moment ago it was obvious that my mind was incapable of producing anything, but now, now my eyes have been opened, my ears can hear, and my heart can understand what God is saying to me. And I'm blessed. Blessed because God is my teacher.

You know, the words and thoughts I express on this blog aren't really mine either. I don't just sit down and think, I'm going to write today. The truth is, I can't write unless God is speaking to me. I have nothing to say, but God, well, He has a lot to say if I'll just listen to Him. He has a lot to say to you too, if you'll listen. He'll make words on a page jump out at you too. Your heart and mind can be filled with His insights. Let Him instruct you and you'll be blessed.

New President, New Hope? Nope.

Today we have a new president. Words like progress, change, and hope are being thrown around. So much is expected from our him. Americans and even the world sincerely believe that President Obama is going to make things better. Maybe he will. It would be great to be free from economic worries, poverty, hunger, environmental concern, and war, but that's not where my hope lies.

Our new president is certain to fail us in some way. He's human, and to be human is to be fallible. Our hopes will be dashed against rocks if we place them in the frail hands of a man.

"My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but only lean on Jesus' name.


On Christ the solid rock I stand,
all other ground is sinking sand."

My hope doesn't lie in a man, but the Son of God. Jesus will never fail me. Oh, He won't take away all of my problems. In fact, I'm bound to struggle sometimes, but I'll find Him right there beside me in the midst of my trouble, leading and guiding me onward until my life's journey is over and all I have left to do is praise His goodness in getting me through. Jesus is were I place my hope, and I know it's in a place that's not going to disappoint.

Thinking about this...

"For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel." Ezra 7:10

Sponge

I've been sick the past couple of days with a cold and haven't been getting much out of my Bible reading. I read Psalm 91 two days in a row and just couldn't seem to get anything out of it. I think the problem was that I had a hard time waiting on the Lord because I had to keep blowing my nose and drinking water to stop coughing. My mind might have been a bit fuzzy too. But today I'm better and it seems that the third time's the charm because the Lord did show me something in Psalm 91 today.

"His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you." Psalm 91:4b-7

When we are saturated with the truth of God, which is found in His Word, we are safe from the attacks of the enemy. We're vulnerable if we're not saturated in truth. It's as is if we're a piece of wood with flaming arrows being shot at it. If the wood is soaking wet, it will remain unscorched, but if it's dry, it will go up in flames.

I've known Christians who are so concerned about being influenced by the world that they cloister themselves, hide from the arrows, if you will. Parents especially do this to their children and try to keep them in an evangelical bubble, never dreaming of letting them near such God-forsaken places as public schools and universities, unchurched friends, and yes, I've even heard youth groups vilified. I've seen people who live their lives in a way that isolates them from the world in which they live. I don't want to be too harsh because I know that they mean well and their desire is to "keep oneself pure and unstained from the world," but I just don't think that is how we are meant to live life.

To borrow an analogy of my mother-in-law's and kind of run with it, as Christians we're suppose to be sponges, soaking up the truth of God's Word. When we do that, we become saturated with Him and can go out into the world and not soak up any of it's evil. In fact, when we are God-saturated, instead of picking up worldliness, we ooze godliness. We have no need to fear and cloister ourselves from the world because though we are surrounded by thousands of people who have fallen, we won't fall as long as we stay saturated in the truth.

And I Quote...

Tozer. I'm reading "The Pursuit of God". Still. I believe his books should be read slowly and time taken to really understand the implications of the challenge of living out the call to pursue God. Anyway, here is the rather long quote:

"O God, be Thou exalted over my possessions. Nothing of earth's treasures shall seem dear unto me if only Thou art glorified in my life. Be Thou exalted over my friendships. I am determined that Thou shalt be above all, though I must stand deserted and alone in the midst of the earth. Be Thou exalted above my comforts. Though it mean the loss of bodily comforts and the carrying of heavy crosses, I shall keep my vow made this day before Thee. Be Thou exalted over my reputation. Make me ambitious to please Thee even if as a result I must sink into obscurity and my name be forgotten as a dream. Rise, O Lord, into Thy proper place of honor, above my ambitions, above my likes and dislikes, above my family, my health and even my life itself. Let me sink that Thou mayest rise above. Ride forth upon me as Though didst ride into Jerusalem mounted upon the humble little beast, a colt, the foal of a donkey, and let me hear the children cry to Thee, "Hosanna in the Highest." Amen.